


Jim and Bones Buy a House

by blancanieve



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Family, House Hunting, M/M, Married Jim and Bones, Mature Jim, Supportive Bones, an angst free story for a change, financial discussions, love and commitment, planning for the future
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-26
Updated: 2016-06-28
Packaged: 2018-07-13 22:16:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7139804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blancanieve/pseuds/blancanieve
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim hasn't had a real home since he was a kid. Now that he and Bones are married, he thinks it's time for them to buy a house. Finding that perfect house won’t be easy. This is the story of their search to find that special house that Jim has always wanted.</p><p>N/B There is a picture of each house at the end of each chapter.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> House number 1, the house that Jim likes, is at the end of this chapter.

**Jim and Bones Buy a House**

**Chapter 1**

" **And a house is not a home**  
**When there's no one there to hold you tight**  
**And no one there you can kiss goodnight"**

  
**Hal David and Burt Bacharach**

 

Alpha shift was long over; Jim and Bones had come back to their quarters from their dinner at the mess and were relaxing on the sofa. Jim's head was resting on Bones' lap and Bones was running his fingers through Jim's thick sandy hair, holding his padd with the other hand. Occasionally, Bones would lift his hand to swipe the page on the screen and when he brought his hand back down, Jim would reach up, pull Bones' hand down and kiss the still very new wedding band. Each time he did it, Bones would smile faintly at the sappiness of the gesture, but he didn't put a stop to it.

Jim's nose was also buried in his padd, but what he was reading was something entirely unrelated to his Captainly duties.

"Bonsey."

"Hmmm."

"Can I interrupt your reading for a minute? I wanna' talk to you about something."

"Sure, Jim. What's on your mind?" Bones put down his padd to give Jim his undivided attention.

Jim said, all in a rush. "I've been thinking and what I've been thinking is that we should buy a house."

Bones looked down at the big blue eyes staring so earnestly up at him. "You think we should buy a house?" He asked, sounding utterly astonished. "Jim, we work on a star ship, what would we do with a house?"

"Well, for one thing, it would be a good investment. Real estate is an excellent way to diversify our portfolios."

Bones boggled at him. "Who are you and what have you done with my Jim?"

"Bones...I'm a married man now, I have to think of our future, a future when we're no longer serving on a ship, when we'll need a place to hang our hats. I know you're a home body at heart, and I want you to be happy." Jim said, looking up at him earnestly.

McCoy had no defense against this new, mature, sweetly responsible Jim; he could only bend down to give him a lingering kiss. He smiled down at Jim, that half-smile filled with an innate tenderness that only Jim and Joanna ever got to see.

Jim raised his head from Bones' lap to meet and return the kiss. He reached up a hand to the back of Bones' neck, they traded lazy kisses for a few minutes before Jim sighed happily and settled his head back down on his lap again.

"Bonesy, let me tell you about what I've been thinking. Ever since we got back from our honeymoon in Ireland and Scotland, I've been thinking of all the small towns and villages we visited, of the cottages and homes we saw there. I'd like for us to have a place like that. Starfleet's temporary officers’ quarters are okay, but I'd like a place where Baby Girl could visit us and have a yard to play in, a place where your mama and my mom could stay for a few days if they wanted to, where Sam and Aurelan could visit with the boys, where some of the crew could come and stay with us for a while, a place that you and I can call home when we're not on the ship. If you like the idea, I thought it would be a good time for us to look for a house since we're both due for our annual furlough."

Jim had thought long and hard about this before he broached his idea to Bones. His life had always been unpredictable, but he'd thrived on that. Even at the Academy, Jim had never lived with routine and he had always loved the novelty, the excitement, even the danger in his restless, tumultuous life; he'd always thought that was his nature. At the Academy and even afterward on the ship, Bones had been the only steady presence in the turbulent ebb and flow of Jim's life. Since his marriage to Bones though, that restlessness had been tempered. With Bones he'd discovered a new, different and welcomed perspective.

Now he looked forward to their small daily rituals, the rhythm of their lives together, the quiet times when talking was unnecessary, their soft conversations in bed, entwined around each other when they talked about their deepest feelings, their fears, their painful pasts. Now deeply immersed in his new life with Bones, Jim found that he loved this new, different structure; it was comforting, reassuring and liberating! Finding a house, making a home with Bones, very far from the turmoil, risk, and danger on the ship, now seemed to Jim an ultimate haven, a desired sanctuary for both of them.

He hadn't yet shared these thoughts with Bones, but he would. These were the kind of thoughts they shared with each other in the dark of ship's night and he was saving them for when he was clasped closely, warmly, in the shelter of Bones' arms.

His eyes shining like the color of a summer sky, Jim sat up and looked eagerly at Bones. He flashed him a blinding smile. "I've been researching places, Bonesy. Would you like to see what I've found?"

"Of course, Jimmy. Let's see what you've found."

Jim brought his padd close to Bones, settled tightly next to the warm shoulder to enlarge the pictures on the site. "This is Calistoga, California; it's in Napa County. So far this is my favorite town. It's small, it's always been small only about 6000 people, and it's 125 miles from San Francisco; only 15 minutes by shuttle to get to the Academy. It's famous for its hot springs and vineyards. There's also a small transporter station if we need it. There are a lot of American Craftsman homes there, both old ones and newer replicas with nice backyards and front porches. It's the type of architecture we both like, unpretentious, homey, and simple. I've looked at some of the homes for sale and we could look at them when we go planet side during our leave." He looked hopefully at Bones. "You want to see some of the houses that are on the market?"

"I do," Bones told him, his gaze soft as he looked at Jim's excited face.

Always the enthusiastic Captain when there was a perceived goal in sight, Jim pulled up the saved images on his padd. "Here they are, I know you're really gonna' love them, Bones." Jim said, his face slightly flushed with excitement. "These are my favorites so far; the ones I'd like to see when we're dirt side. There are four, all the ones I like best."

Bones nodded."Okay then, those are the ones we'll look at."

Bones flipped rapidly through the pictures then went back to view them more closely. There were exterior and interior pictures of the homes and schematics of the interior layouts.

"These are all really nice, darlin'. Which is your favorite?"

Jim touched the screen and rearranged the houses. "This one is my favorite," he said, "although it needs a little work, so we could probably get a good deal on it and we could do the work ourselves. The summer I was 20, I worked as a carpenter on construction jobs."

Bones looked at him knowingly. Before the Academy, Jim had wandered around the country doing odd jobs to keep himself fed and clothed. He'd acquired a lot of skills, mechanical, construction, electrical, engineering, and even some that were a lot less savory. They had all come in handy at one time or another.

"Anyway," Jim continued happily, "this is the one. See? It has a wide front porch with columns, it has multiple windows that let in natural light and the living spaces have wide-open areas. It's got a built-in media center and a fireplace in the great room. You'll love the kitchen, Bones," Jim told him, blue eyes luminous in the light coming from the padd. "It has a huge skylight over the island counter so the whole kitchen area is bright with sunlight. The dining room has sliding glass doors that open to a back patio and the yard. Through the double doors near the kitchen, there's another room which we could use as an office." He pointed to the room. "There's also a garage out back for a small shuttle and the house has a laundry room and a walk-in pantry. There are two other bedrooms with two baths; the master suite has a vaulted ceiling and a bath with a spa tub." His eyes sparkled as he looked at Bones through his lashes. "It's big enough that we'd both fit in it, Bonsey."

Bones chuckled. "That's a big selling point for sure." He looked closely at the house."Okay, then, if that's the one you like best, we'll look at that one first. I like it a lot too."

Jim's eyes widened. "Bones are you saying you agree we should buy a house? You're not going to argue or try to talk me out of it?" There was hope rising in Jim’s breast, he could feel his heart beating in his ribs in anticipation. “Really?”

Bones hand cupped Jim’s face, the stubble scratching against his palm. He pressed his warm lips to Jim’s. Jim hummed contently and pressed his body closer.

"Yes, Jim, if it'll make you happy." Leonard looked at the man he loved with his whole heart and soul; this man whose life had been filled with so much loss, sadness and trauma, this man he'd almost lost forever.  His hazel eyes, looking into Jim's blue ones, were deadly serious. "You know it's all I really care about, right? That you should be happy." His voice was a deep rumble, filled with emotion.

"Oh." Jim's breath hitched. "Bones...Bones...love you more than anything.” He pressed a tender kiss to Bones' lips; as always, Bones responded immediately with heartfelt enthusiasm. Jim's breath caught at the look on Bones’ face; the love he saw shining there made his heart knock hard against his ribcage.

He drew in a deep breath, smiling happily at Bones' acceptance. "You know, I have a draft in my padd with bulleted points about why buying a house is a good idea. There was going to be witty chatter about the joys of being a home owner; there's even a bulletted outline for how I was going to convince you about the house."

McCoy rolled his eyes and snorted. "No need for all that, darlin' if you want us to buy a house, then as long as it's a place we can afford, we'll buy us a house."

Jim was struck silent. In his wildest dreams he'd never considered that someone would love him so much that making him happy was all that mattered. Jim gave Bones a brilliant smile filled with love and tenderness.

"Thank you, Bones. This means so much to me. I know that someday, hopefully far in the future, the farm will come down to Sam and me; mom already told us that, and that's great. It's a perfect getaway place for both families, but it wouldn't be just ours, and that's what I want, a place that would be ours, a place to call our own." A tide of emotion swept over Jim; he buried his face in Bones' shoulder and swung an arm around to hold him tight. Bones ran gentle fingers along the nape of his neck. Jim shivered. Bones’ hands were always gentle, they always touched him with love, with reverence, with tenderness as well as passion. Since their marriage, even more so.

Leonard looked at him sternly. "If it's within my power to do something that will make you happy, then I'm doin' it. Is that clear, Jim?" 

Flinging himself into Bones' lap and straddling him, Jim breathed into the inviting wet warmth of Bones' mouth. "As bells!"

Leonard took Jim’s face in his hands, hazel eyes green with intensity. “Understand this, Jim Kirk. There's not one damn thing I wouldn't do for you. You are everything to me, Jim. For years I thought that all I would ever be to you was a best friend, that you'd never see me as more, that I'd never have you like this. Now that I do, I give thanks every single day to every deity in the universe, and if it's a house that you want, a house you shall have!"

“Bones…” Jim's vivid blue eyes were blown wide with love and desire as he looked at his doctor.

Jim knew exactly which of his moves drove Bones crazy, so he went right to that spot just under Leonard's ear. Light kisses, soft nips, and gentle suction resulted in a moan from Bones. Jim's deft fingers reached for Bones' pant zipper and pushed it down. He pulled at Bones' pants and briefs and they too went down quickly. The pad of Jim's thumb brushed the head of Bones' cock and Bones sucked in a harsh breath.

Jim's tongue swept across Bones' plush bottom lip and his hand unbuttoned his own pants. He and Bones pushed the pants and his black briefs below his knees and he kicked them off. In a well practiced, choreographed move, they leaned slightly back from each other and pulled off their shirts. Leonard bent down and pressed a kiss to Jim’s sternum, his ribs, and ran his hands over Jim's back and sides, dragging his lips downward over the warm skin. Then suddenly there was that wonderful feeling of Bones' soft skin, skin like silk, pressed tight against him and Jim was moaning. Jim let all his passion, desire and love for this man come through, letting Bones see and hear how deeply he felt about him. Leonard’s tongue reciprocated in kind; one hand dug bruises into Jim’s hips while the other hand buried itself in his thick hair. Jim moaned again and Bones pressed one strong hand against Jim’s back to steady him and with the other took them both in his warm hand and started to move, slow and fast, tight and loose. Jim’s eyes shone in the low light, pupils blown wide with arousal.

Jim’s hands were locked tight on Bones' shoulder. He leaned backwards to see what Leonard’s hand was doing, harsh pants coming from him as his arousal spiraled higher and higher. Leonard's hand on Jim’s back took his weight as he tightened his grip on their cocks. He twisted his wrist, pressed his thumb against both their slits. The back and forth glide of Leonard's thumb made both of them gasp. "That feels so damn good....so good... please, please don't stop, Bones, love you, need you.” Jim gasped.

Jim tilted his head back, exposing the beautiful, long column of his throat. Leonard kissed his way up and down Jim’s neck, sucking a red mark into the skin at the base. Jim’s fingers tightened against his shoulders as he got lost in Bones’s kisses.They were both panting with the strength of their arousal. Under the hand that he'd pressed flat to Jim’s back, Leonard could feel the muscles of Jim’s body tightening. "Bones...Bones...Bones...." Jim chanted the usual litany of his name before he climaxed. He suddenly stilled, his vision tunneled to white as the world dissolved around him, the only real thing left was this man in his arms. He pressed his face to Bones' shoulder and shuddered with his release. He came back to himself slowly, gasping, his breaths loud in the silence of their room.

As he came down from his orgasm, Jim leaned forward, one hand coming down to move Leonard's hand away and replace it with his own, smashing his lips to Leonard’s in a bruising kiss. He stroked him until Bones' breathing came in harsh pants against Jim’s lips. "C’mon, Bones,” he whispered. “Come for me, sweetheart.” Then Bones, too shuddered, and came in Jim's hand. Jim held on tightly, until Bones' climax died down. They panted into each other's mouths, hips slowing, sweat cooling. Jim opened his eyes and they smiled at each other. He could feel Bones' heart beating against his own chest as he buried his nose against Bones' neck, tasting the slightly salty skin and the other man's pulse under his tongue. He closed his eyes and breathed deep, smelling the scent of sex, soap, and that unidentifiable smell of Bones' skin that belonged to him alone. Jim chuckled softly into Bones'neck.

"What's funny," Bones' rumbled, voice still breathless from their frantic lovemaking, looking into the laughing blue eyes.

"Us...apparently we can't seem to keep our hands off each other, regardless of what kind of conversation were having."

"Cain't help it! Love you so damn much just cain't keep my hands off you!" Bones' Georgia drawl was out in full force.

"Hey! I was going to say that!"Jim said.

They grinned goofily at each other, then Jim slowly and regretfully hauled himself away from Bones' lap with a last lingering kiss and a soft caress down the warmth of his cheek. He would never get enough of this; enough of his doctor. He was blissfully happy; his life with Bones was everything he'd ever dreamed of.  "Love you, Bonesy," he whispered.

"Love you more," McCoy murmured back, his hazel eyes alight.

Jim bent down and picked up their clothes. "Here, baby, don't get cold," he said handing him his long sleeve t-shirt and briefs. He paused to admire the flex of hard muscles as Bones drew the t-shirt over his head and the briefs over his thighs. "We'll be dirt side day after tomorrow; you want to go straight to Calistoga? Or do you want to go to Georgia and Iowa first?"

"Let's go see the houses first. If we decide to buy the house, I'd like for for Joanna, mama, and your mom to come see it."

"Bones!" Jim's eyes sparkled with delight. "That's a great idea! They'll be so excited!

There was a beep on Jim's padd and he checked it. "Our rental shuttle has been confirmed. They'll deliver it to the SF shuttle parking lot and we can fly straight to Calistoga. I'll make our hotel reservations right away and contact the realtor to set up our appointments. We can call mom, your mom and Jo Bear from the hotel and tell them the news!"

"Sounds good, darlin'." Bones' dimple peeked through. "I can't wait to tell JoJo that her daddy and papa are buying a house on Earth...she'll be so excited!"

"We'll all be!" Jim beamed.

 

* * *

Jim's favorite house

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> House number 2, the one that Bones likes, is at the end of this chapter.

**Jim and Bones Buy a House**

**Chapter 2**.

 **"A house is made with walls and beams.**  
**A home is made with love and dreams."**  
**Author Unknown**

 

The Alpha shift crew walked into the bridge for their duty shift to find Jim already there busily working on his padd. "Good morning, my most excellent crew," he beamed at them.

"Someone's in a good mood," Uhura murmured to Sulu.

"He's always in a good mood, unless he's sick, or he and Dr. McCoy are at odds." Sulu replied softly.  
softly.

"True," Uhura said, "but today he's practically ecstatic."

"You seem to be in an unusually ebullient mood this morning, Captain," Spock said, looking closely at Jim. Indeed, Spock thought, Jim's blue eyes were brighter than usual and the smile he shared with the crew was positively incandescent.

"Is that's your roundabout way of saying that I look happy, Spock? If so, it's true. I am happy, very happy."

"May one inquire as to why, Captain?"

"One may, Mr. Spock...." The lift door opening interrupted Jim. Janice Rand, Jim's yeoman, came in with Jim's daily mission reports from the ship's different departments. Jim sighed. "I'll have to tell you about it later, Mr. Spock."

"Morning, Janice," he said accepting the large cup of coffee she handed him. Jim and Janice had a coffee arrangement. He purchased the coffee beans every shore leave and she made enough coffee for the two of them with the coffee maker he'd given her at Christmas. Bones said her gift had been self serving, but both Jim and Janice were happy with their arrangement.

"There are quite a lot of reports for you, Captain. Besides the daily department reports there are also the end of the month reports." She handed him an unusually large number of padds.

Jim grimaced. Paperwork was the bane of his existence. "Please put them in my ready room, Janice. I'll work in there this morning. Mr.Spock, you have the con while I finish up all these reports. Bones and I are leaving in the morning. I don't want to leave loose ends for you to have to deal with."

"Ah...yes, Captain. Speaking of your furlough and since it is your last evening before departure, Lt. Uhura and I would like to invite you and the doctor for dinner this evening in the Officer's Mess at 1900 hours."

"Thank you, Spock. That sounds great. We'll be there. When Bones comes to the bridge with his daily Med Bay report tell him I'm working in my ready room, that I'll comm him to meet me for lunch in the mess.

"I will inform him, Captain."

"Mr.Chekov, Mr. Sulu, steady as she goes."

"Aye, Sir." 

"Aye, Keptin." Chekov's sweet smile followed him to his ready room. Jim was hard pressed not to ruffle his curly hair on the way out. 

Jim worked quickly and steadily through his mountain of padds. At mid morning, Janice came in with more reports that needed his attention and brought him a glass of milk with an apple. "You need to keep up your strength in order to finish all these reports before you and the doctor leave," she smirked at him.

Jim groaned. "No more padds, Janice. I'll finish all of these, but Spock will have to deal with the rest as they come in. He's acting Captain for the next month, so save them for him. I swear the man loves to do reports!"

"I must say, Sir, that on the few occasions that I've acted as yeoman for Mr. Spock, his paperwork has always been completed perfectly, on time, and without reminders or prompting."

Jim eyed her balefully. "Janice, are you saying that my paperwork is not perfect?”

"Certainly not, Captain," Janice replied, unperturbed. "Your paperwork is always correct...."

"Thank you, Janice."

"But not always turned in on time," Janice finished.

Jim couldn't argue with that; and really he didn't want to. That's what he liked about Janice. She couldn't be intimidated, deterred, or distracted. She was exactly what he needed in a yeoman.

Jim handed Janice his completed padds then looked at the other mountain she'd brought him. "Take these completed ones away, Janice. Go. Just go, leave me here to die buried alive under all these padds." He looked up at her, his blue eyes mournful.

"Yes Sir," she said cheerfully. "I'll come back later to dig you out."

Jim snorted as she left. He got up, stretched and walked around to loosen his tired cramped muscles. He wondered what Bones was doing. As always when he thought of his Bones, Jim felt a sense of deep contentment wash over him. Back at the Academy, Bones had taken him under his wing, broken and battered though he was. Jim had done the same for Bones; they had become best friends, and later something much more. Since that first day on the shuttle, Bones had been the most important person in Jim's life. Now this amazing man belonged to Jim as surely as Jim belonged to him.

Jim smiled to himself, recognizing his mental reminiscences for what they were, avoidance of his paperwork. He made himself sit down again to work steadily until his stomach rumbled. He looked at the chronometer, lunch time at last! He toggled his desk comm. "Kirk to Med Bay"

Bones deep southern drawl came back. "Time for lunch, darlin'?"

"Sure is, I'm starving!" Jim closed all his padds with his encryption codes. "Grab us a table, will you, Bones? I'll be there in a few minutes." He toggled his comm again to call the bridge.

"Spock here."

"I'm going to lunch, Spock. I still have quite a few end of the month reports to read and sign, so when I come back, you'll have the con again until I finish."

"Yes, Captain."

The mess was full when Jim walked in. He spotted Bones already sitting at their usual table, Scotty was sitting with him which was unusual. It was very hard to pry Scotty away from Engineering, he usually ate a sandwich in his office so he could keep an eagle eye on his staff.

"Scotty, this is a welcome surprise!"

"Captain, I just stopped by to say goodbye tae yourself and McCoy. I'm leaving this afternoon for Edinburgh to visit mae family. 'Tis annual leave time for meself also."

"You have a great time with your family. Scotty. Bones and I are leaving in the morning."

"So McCoy said, Sir. Also he told me you're going to look at houses for sale with the idea of buying one. 'Tis grand news that is. Everyone needs a place to call their own. Me, I already have me wee croft right outside the city of Edinburgh. 'Tis small, but I like it that way. Close to the relatives, but I can be alone when I want to be." He stood. "Well now, I must be off. See you both in a month and good luck with the house hunting, hope ye find what you want."

"Thanks, Scotty." Jim beamed up at him, pleased at the encouragement from his CE. "Have a great leave."

"Aye, sir. That I will!" Scotty smiled his biggest smile and winked at Jim. 

Jim dug into his lunch glancing over at Bones. "We've finished packing, right? I hope we didn't forget anything."

"Yeah, I think we're done. I put the gifts for everyone in a different duffle, too."

"Good. Oh, almost forgot. Uhura and Spock invited us to a little going away dinner tonight."

Bones groaned in protest. "Jim...."

"Come on, Bones. I'm sure Nyota was behind the invitation? Social niceties are beyond Spock, they 'are not logical'. You wouldn't want to hurt her feelings by not going, would you? She's going to miss you."

Leonard sighed. He and Nyota were good friends, very good friends; had been ever since their Academy days. He would never want to hurt her feelings. "No, I wouldn't ever want to do that. I guess I can stand one whole evening of Spock's scintillatin' conversation."

"Atta' boy, Bones," Jim grinned, clapped him on the shoulder then looked at the time. "It's time for me to get back to work," he said carrying his tray to the recycler. "I'm finishing up all the monthly reports, see you after shift."

Leonard stood too, "I'll walk with you." The two men walked side by side, shoulders brushing against each other to the the lift. The doors opened immediately on the empty lift. "Med Bay," Leonard said.

"Bridge." The lift stopped at the Med Bay level first, but before the doors opened, Leonard pressed the 'hold' button on the door and turned to Jim. He reached over, outlined his bottom lip slowly with his thumb, and gave Jim a lingering tender kiss, taking his time about it. When the kiss ended, he chuckled as he looked at the dazed, panting Jim. "See you at dinner, darlin', he said and stepped out into the corridor.

A still bemused Jim shook his head as he entered the bridge to get to his ready room. He worked steadily through the afternoon, definitely NOT thinking about Bones and the kiss he received in the lift which gave him the shivers every damn time he did NOT think about it.

"Captain," Spock's voice came over the comm. "Alpha shift is now over. Your holiday has officially begun."

Jim looked up at the comm, surprised. "So it has, thank you, Mr. Spock."

Miraculously and right on time, Janice appeared at the door. "I'll take those, Sir," she said, picking up the pile of padds. "You and the doctor have a great furlough, Captain." She smiled benignly at him.

"Thanks, Janice," he told the retreating figure.

He quickly headed to his quarters to put on his civilian clothes in preparation for dinner with Spock and Uhura. Bones was already there, out of the shower, his hair still wet, dressed, and sitting at their personal comm with a furrow etched on his forehead. "I'll be ready in a minute, Bones. What are you doing there, baby?"

"I'm checking our credits balance and our available credit line for a possible house loan. It looks like we're in good financial shape. Jimmy." He grimaced, remembering. "Considering I had 40 credits to my name when I got off that shuttle at the Academy, things are looking real good. I just wanted to be sure. I don't want you to be disappointed."

Jim gave him a concerned glance. Jocelyn, (the evil bitch witch, as Jim always called her in his head) had left Bones with absolutely nothing after their divorce. He'd come a long, long way in rebuilding his finances.

"That's a good idea, Bones, but I don't want you to worry about credits. I know we're fine financially. Let's face it, there are very few places out here in the black where we can spend our credits, but we'll talk about all that later, okay? I want you to have a good time this evening and no matter what, we'll be fine." He pressed a sweet reassuring kiss on Bones' lips and smoothed out his frowny groove with a gentle finger. He began stripping off his uniform as he walked, looking forward to using the last of his water rations for the month and having a long hot shower.

"Bones, promise me you'll control yourself around Spock," Jim yelled through the shampoo suds. "Uhura hates it when you bicker."

"Yeah, alright," Leonard growled back. "For Uhura's sake, I'll cease and desist. At least he won't be around to irritate me for a whole month. That makes me feel mellow already," Leonard smiled to himself. Truthfully, in the past couple of years he’d discovered that Spock wasn't quite as bad as McCoy had originally thought. He had his good points, although he’d never admit that out loud to Jim. He still maintained that he wasn't sure why the hell Nyota was in a relationship with the Vulcan; it must be that the sex was pretty good, he thought. It was the only rational explanation he could think of for a beautiful, intelligent, accomplished woman like Uhura to hook up with an automaton like Spock. Jim might think the world of the Vulcan, but Leonard was of a different opinion all together.

Jim stepped out of the shower then stood in front of the bathroom mirror to use the beard suppressant and his hair products. He sighed. Bones' hair always looked perfect and all he ever did to it was comb it. Jim only kept his looking good with the use of several hair products.

"Ready," he told Bones, coming out of the bathroom dressed in his blue shirt and dark brown slacks. "You look very handsome, Dr. McCoy." Jim told him, as he took a long look at his doctor, admiring the broad shoulders shown to perfection in a green dress shirt. Bones' long legs and lean hips were also showcased in grey dress slacks.

"Likewise, Captain Kirk; shall we?" Bones asked, offering Jim his arm with a flourish.

"Let's shall," Jim grinned, and hooked his arm through Bones'.

The Officers Mess was empty except for Spock and Uhura. Their table was set with the ship's good china and silver and the lights had been dimmed; artificial candles flickered on the table.

"This looks real nice, Nyota," Bones told her, "and you're looking especially lovely this evening."

"Thank you, Len." Uhura smiled affectionately at him. "Shall we sit down?"

The mess wait staff brought in the food carts and Uhura dismissed them. She served the food from the chafing dishes on the cart while Spock poured the wine.

"This is delicious," Jim said, tasting his baked chicken, grilled asparagus and scalloped potatoes. Leonard nodded, his mouth full. 

"It is good,"Uhura said. "Muriel outdid herself this evening. So," she asked, "what are your plans for your furlough?"

"Well," Jim beamed. "Hadn't had a chance to tell you and Spock, but Bones and I are planning to buy a house." His voice was filled with enthusiasm and happiness as he filled them in on his search for houses and their upcoming visit to Calistoga. He glanced at Spock and his voice trailed off.

Spock was regarding Jim with that bland perfect non-expression on his face that meant he didn't understand the nonsensical statement that had just come out of Jim’s mouth.

"What's the matter, Spock?" Leonard asked. "You look like you swallowed a lemon."

Spock put his fork down, his expression now shifting to faintly disapproving. "I do not see the necessity of acquiring a house on Earth when you actually reside on the ship and you are seldom planet side on Earth. Also, the doctor has the cabin in Montana, and you, Jim, have the use of your mother's farm in Iowa as well as the Officers' Quarters at the Academy."

Jim's happy expression dimmed at Spock's words. "We think it's a good investment," he said, hesitantly.

If anything, Spock's expression became more disapproving.

"Spock...," Uhura murmured, glancing at Leonard. Spock ignored her soft murmur of warning.

"Real estate has traditionally proven to be a poor return on one's investments. Markets are often volatile and risky and might put your credits in jeopardy. A diversified portfolio usually has very little invested in real estate markets. I, myself, have not invested in real estate, therefore the returns on my investments have been quite good."

Jim's face fell even more. He glanced uncertainly at Bones. "I wouldn't ever want to put our credits in jeopardy, Bones."

Bones glared at Spock, his fury at the tactless Vulcan in full display, before turning to Jim. "Don't you worry about that, Jim. If we want to spend our credits on a house, that's what we're gonna' do. Personally I think it's a great idea." He smiled at Jim. "I can't thing of anything I'd like more than for us to buy a place of our own."

He turned stormy hazel eyes to Spock. "And as for you, you green bloodied hobgoblin, maybe you should consider your own future by buying a house in New Vulcan, just in case, you know, that Nyota might like a house of her own down the line when you two make it official. Not everyone likes the idea of living with in-laws, you know."

"Jim...," Nyota said quietly, "if you and Leonard want to buy a house, then that's what you should do." She glanced at Spock. "I'm sure Spock didn't mean to sound negative or discouraging."

"Certainly not," Spock said. "I was merely stating the findings of published reports on different types of investments. The ultimate decision as to how to spend your credits is entirely up to the two of you." He picked up his fork again, unperturbed by the seething Bones, the concerned Nyota, and the dismayed Jim.

"We're done here," Leonard said, throwing down his napkin and pushing away his plate. "Thank you for a lovely dinner, Nyota sweetheart, but Jim and I still have a lot to do before tomorrow morning."

"But Leonard, I ordered peach pie for dessert," Nyota protested. "Your favorite."

"Thank you, Nyota, another time maybe." He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. "See you in a month, sweetheart, take care of yourself."

Jim sighed. There was no point in trying to dissuade the furious Bones. "Thanks you two, for a great dinner. We'll see you back here in a month. Take care of my ship, Spock."

"Of course, Jim. I will do so to the best of my ability."

Bones fairly pushed Jim out the mess doors, muttering under his breath the whole time. Jim bit his lip trying not to laugh. There was no love lost between Bones and Spock. Sometimes they got along better than other times, mostly when Jim was in some sort of jeopardy or injured, when they were forced to join forces for Jim's welfare. Other times, like tonight, Bones totally lost patience and became incensed at something Spock would say or do.

"Bones, Bones, calm down. You know how Spock is. He really didn't mean to rain on our parade. I was a little upset at first, but then I remembered how literal and one track minded he can be."

Leonard growled. "I could tell his comments made you doubt our plans; he upset you, Jim. It made me mad...what business is it of his what we do with our credits."

"Just at first, Bones. Then I realized it really didn't matter what Spock thinks, your opinion is the only one that matters to me." Jim smiled at Bones, his blue eyes tender. "So...we're going dirt side to look for and buy us a house?"

Bones smiled back. "Yeah, we are. Let's get back to our quarters and look at those four houses again, darlin'; I kinda liked that second one a lot." 

 

                                                                            House number 2 

                                         

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> House number 3, the one the realtor likes, is at the end of this chapter.

 

 

**Jim and Bones Buy a House**

**Chapter 3**

**"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one;**

**stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to,**

**in the strongest conjuration."**

  
**Charles Dickens**

 

Jim piloted _Copernicus_ , one of _Enterprise's_ small shuttles, to the Jupiter Space Station and parked it; it would be ready to be picked up on their way back. Starfleet frowned on using ships' shuttles for personal use, so from there they took a public transport to The Academy Visitor's drop off point. Their rental shuttle was, as promised, waiting for them in the main parking site at the Academy.

Jim put in the security code and the shuttle door opened. Leonard transferred their luggage and the duffle filled with the family gifts to the rental, while Jim familiarized himself with the shuttle navigation protocols. He put in the coordinates for Calistoga and their hotel, requested all their routes permission from traffic control, then turned to Bones.

"Are you hungry, Bones?"

"Yeah, I could eat. A real breakfast, no replicated eggs and leathery replicated bacon sounds real good right now."

"Shall we go to our favorite breakfast diner?" Jim grinned, remembering all the Saturday breakfasts they'd had there during their Academy days.

Bones smiled in return, his dimples out in full force. "Sounds great, darlin'. And it'll be a better and cheaper breakfast then at the hotel."

Jim added their route, and lifted the shuttle up through and above the fluffy blue gray clouds, heading for the outskirts of San Francisco to The Red Door Diner. He and Bones had discovered it during their first year while out sight seeing. It was far enough out that the SF cadets and officers didn't frequent it, so it made eating there a rare pleasure. No red uniforms or having to salute officers. Then after breakfast, there’d be a nice hotel room, as many real water showers as they wanted, (and the hot fun activities that normally happened when they showered together) room service if desired, some sightseeing, and of course house hunting.

Jim parked the shuttle in the back parking lot, grabbed Bones’ hand and squeezed it. Bones' fingers, tangled in Jim's own, were warm and strong; those fingers that Jim loved, long and elegant, that always felt so good as they traversed over his body.

Despite the public parking lot and the sight of customers coming and going, Jim suddenly found himself enveloped in Bones’ strong arms. Jim immediately wound his own arms around Bones and inhaled deeply of his cologne and his personal scent, pressing his nose closely to that small area that he loved the most, the spot right above the collar of Bones' casual shirt. Jim closed his eyes; Bones never went in for public displays of affection, his profound love for Jim was always a very private thing between them. Jim blinked back the sudden sting of tears, moved beyond words. He felt the damp press of lips to the shell of his ear. And then a very quiet, “Jim, I'm so glad to be doin' this with you.”

"Me too, Bones, me too." Jim whispered back, around the lump in his throat.

Bones drew back slowly. "Let's go eat, Jimmy, before I do somethin' completely inappropriate."

"That's what hotel rooms are for," whispered Jim, then watched in delight as two spots of red flushed Leonard's cheeks.

They entered the diner and grabbed a table by a window. Although the diner was full no one seem to recognize them or if they did, no one cared enough to bother them. It had been a long time since their last visit, but Flo, their usual waitress, brought them menus right away. "Boys, it's been a while. Good to see you, now what can I get you?"

"Great to see you too, Flo. Coffee, orange juice, two eggs sunny side up, hash browns, sausage, and buttered toast," Jim said.

"Same for me, but crispy bacon instead of toast, "Leonard said.

"Coming right up," Flo told them, pouring them two mugs of hot coffee and leaving the cream on the table.

Jim pulled out his padd. "Our first appointment with the realtor is this afternoon at 4:00. She was pretty booked up today so we can only see one house. Tomorrow though we can see the other three. She's blocked out the whole day for us tomorrow."

"That's good, I'm anxious to see all four houses," Bones said. "See if they're as nice as they look in the pictures."

"Me too," Jim said. "By the way, her name is Grace," Jim told him, "Grace Cho."

Their breakfast was delicious and they ate leisurely and with gusto! They had a second cup of coffee, paid their bill and re-boarded the shuttle. "Let's do a quick sightseeing tour of Calistoga; after all, it's going to be our 'home town," Jim said, notifying the Calistoga traffic control their route change. After their okay, he brought the shuttle down lower so they could see the sights. "We can't check in at the hotel until noon anyway."

From the air, the town looked pristine; clean streets, colorful shops, well kept homes and lawns, and substantial well built municipal buildings. "Sure looks nice, doesn't it, Bones?"

"It does, darlin'; one of the nice things about small towns, people have a vested interest in keeping their town nice."

Jim did one more fly over than headed to the hotel. They checked in and the luggage robots followed them to their room which was on the first floor. Their luggage was deposited by the door and Jim locked the door.

Leonard was looking out the curtained window to the rose garden outside when he felt Jim's lips against his ear. "Bones," he murmured.

"What, Jim?"

"Nothing. Just … Bones,” Jim whispered, and wrapped his arms around,him.. He turned him around, pushed his mouth against Leonard's and simply devoured him. Bones immediately slid his hands across Jim’s back and down over the curve of his backside, pulling him closer, pouring all the love he felt into the kisses he gave Jim. His long clever hands wandered all over Jim’s back, stroking him. Even their need to breathe didn't separate them. He and Jim broke apart and came back together, their kisses alternating from hard and heavy to sweet. Jim gasped for air and Bones tried to pull away, but Jim wouldn’t let go.

“No, Bones,” Jim said, chest heaving against Leo’s. “Don’t … don’t go away yet.” He buried his face in Leo’s neck and just breathed him in. He sighed. "I've been wanting to do that all morning."

"I'm here, Jimmy. Not going anywhere."

Jim slid a hand in between them and unhooked the top of Bones' pants, fingering the pull tab, then slid the zipper down, turning his hand to cup Bones. He felt hot and heavy in his palm. He squeezed lightly, loving the groan that came from Bones; the way his hazel eyes darkened with desire.

When they broke apart, Jim gave Bones one last squeeze before he slid his hands out, pulled Bones' undershirt over his head, stroking his hands over Bones' shoulders, making the doctor shiver. Jim quickly got rid of his own clothes; the rest of Bones came off too.

Jim pushed him gently toward the bed and quickly pulled off the bedspread; once again they lay together, gloriously naked, nothing but flesh on flesh. Jim knew exactly what Bones wanted and he wanted it, too. _This feels so good,_ he thought happily. They were off for a whole month, a whole glorious month for them to be together just like this, without interruption, away missions, red alerts, or Admirals' comms.

Jim gripped Bones' shoulders as he thrust down, sweat and pre-come keeping the friction between them rough. Bones also gripped Jim's shoulders painfully tight; matching him thrust for thrust. “God…,” Jim's voice shook.

"I know." Bones whispered, nuzzling against Jim’s throat, laving and latching on, as he rolled his hips. Their two bodies rocked and quiet moans and whimpers filled the air. Jim came first, his thrusts becoming faster, more erratic. “Oh. oh God.” He made a strangled cry, into Bones’ skin as he came between them.

Bones' lips released their hold on Jim’s neck and he moaned at the sudden hot feel of Jim's climax. It pushed him closer and closer to orgasm, until the final small shallow jerks of Jim against him, sent him over the edge.

Slowly, they came back to themselves, Jim’s head had fallen back and his grip loosened enough for Bones to roll to the side. Jim found his hand, lacing their fingers together and he sighed; it all felt wonderful. He reached over the bed, found his shirt and used the soft material to clean them both up, then pulled Bones towards him. They lay there face to face, arms and legs wrapped together. Jim drew in a deep shaky breath looking deep into Leonard's eyes. His blue eyes were intent, icy clear, shining, filled with wonder and love.

Leonard caught his gaze and held it. "What is it, darlin'?" he whispered.

"You, Bones. Always you. Only you," Jim murmured before his mouth found Bones'.

They slept for a while entwined together. Jim woke first and checked his chronometer. There was time for a shower and a quick meal before meeting with the realtor. He gently untangled himself from Bones' arms and leaned in to whisper in his ear. "Bones, baby, wake up. We need to shower, eat, and meet the realtor."

"Don't wanna' wake up yet." Bones voice was rough and husky with sleep; his eyes remained firmly closed. "Stop bothering me, Jim, I'm on vacation."

Jim laughed softly, puffing breaths of air into Bones' ear.

"Jim," he growled, shivering slightly at the tickle.

"Come on, Bonsey, you need to get up. I'll scrub your back and shampoo your hair in the shower. You know you love that, and we can't go eat or meet the realtor smelling of sex."

Leonard opened one suspicious eye, looking at his beloved, sneaky Jim. "Okay," he drawled, "but I am on vacation so the back scrubbin' and hair shampooin' better be top notch and worth my leaving this soft comfortable bed."

Jim laughed. "Isn't it always?" He pulled Bones upright, pulling him into the bathroom.

After their shower where Jim made absolutely sure that it was indeed worthwhile for Bones to leave the bed, they walked into the dining room for a very late lunch.

The dining room was deserted; the wait staff was setting up for dinner, but a waiter came promptly to their table. "What can I get you, gentlemen?"

"Are we too late for a late lunch?" Jim asked.

"Certainly not, Sir. We can prepare whatever you would like, Captain, Doctor."

So they had been recognized, still it was very nice that all the hotel employees were so discreet.

"I'd like a hamburger, medium rare, hold the onions, with French fries and a glass of sweet tea," Jim said.

"The same," Bones said. "And for dessert two apple pies a la mode."

The waiter nodded. "It will only take a few minutes."

Leonard grinned at Jim. "The pie and ice cream are for you making sure that our shower was well worth me getting up for." He chuckled as Jim flushed.

The hamburgers and fries were delicious as was was the pie. They went to the hotel lounge to wait for the realtor and promptly at 4:00 a petite, slim, young woman wearing a bright red suit which enhanced her glossy black hair, came toward. "Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, I'm Grace Cho. It's a pleasure to meet you both," she beamed, shaking hands, showing straight small white teeth.

"A pleasure, Ms. Cho," Jim and Bones shook her hand.

"Please call me Grace. If you're ready shall we go? I have my ground car with me. I thought you'd enjoy seeing Calistoga close up."

"That sounds great," Jim said, and Bones agreed.

"I know that today we only have one appointment; it's the house that you liked, Captain, but tomorrow we'll spend most of the day together, viewing the other three house that you're interested in. There's one I particularly like for the two of you. Happily, it's one of the ones you sent me a picture of, Captain. The landscaping is lovely and I really like the porch. I doubt it will stay on the market for long."

They got into her late model ground car, and Grace drove out into the street in front of the hotel. "The house we're about to see has some maintenance issues," she told them. "In your email to me, Captain, you stated that was not a huge concern for you two. The house belonged to an elderly couple, but they didn't do the maintenance and upkeep that should have been done. The heirs are eager to sell it. It's a lovely house, it has what we realtors like to call 'good bones'.

"I'm very familiar with, and prefer 'good bones,' Jim told Grace with a straight face, and grinned when he saw Bones' flush and cast him a fierce glare. 

She drove up to the house and into the long driveway; they got out and looked around. Jim drew a deep breath as he checked out the neighborhood. It was tree lined, quiet with well kept houses, pretty mowed lawns and large established trees shading all the houses.

"Pretty, isn't it," Grace said.

Jim nodded and looked at Bones. "Very pretty," said Bones."

"Shall we go inside?" She led the way up to the porch to input the security code. "The house has been completely cleaned and sanitized. The heirs left some of the furniture, but it's not for sale; they're all antiques and will be removed once the house sells."

She led the way into the front room. "As you can see, it's an open floor plan which is what you specified, Captain Kirk. Also the house has many exterior and interior characteristics of the Craftsman style that you're interested in. The exterior has the full front porch, the wood siding, the brick support porch columns, the multi-paned window, the low pitched roof, and the exposed porch beams."

Jim looked at Bones who nodded. "We both like the exterior a lot."

Bones spoke up. "I was raised in Georgia, so I'm very partial to front porches."

"I like them too," Grace said. "They seem friendly to me. Now, let me show you around." She led them through the house, room by room, pointing out the Craftsman characteristics throughout; the natural wood floors, the stone, wood, and tile throughout the house, the built-in wooden book cases and cabinets, and the stone fireplace. She pointed up to the Master bathroom ceiling. "You can see some water damage up there, and also some on the kitchen ceiling." She led them back to the kitchen and pointed it out. "Also, one of the cabinets is listing to the right, so that will have to be repaired. There are also a few broken floor tiles here and there, and one of the porch columns needs some bricks replaced."

"But nothing is structurally wrong with the house?" Jim asked.

"No, nothing. The roof is sound, it passed inspection. Most of the issues are cosmetic."

Jim nodded. He agreed with her assessment.

"The house is charmin' Grace, the rooms are very spacious. What is the age of the house?"

Grace looked at her padd. "It's about 75 years old, Doctor McCoy," she said. "It's a replica of a home built in 1930. The plans of that home were purchased and the original owners had this house duplicated exactly except, of course, with all the modern amenities. Shall we look at the back yard" she asked. "I know that's one if your requirements."

Leonard nodded. "I have a young daughter, Grace. We'd like for her to have a yard to play in, also the Captain has young nephews who'll visit."

Grace opened the back door and they stepped out into the fenced back yard. It had two tall Maple trees and blooming lilac bushes hugging the fence. The grass was well tended and recently mowed. The flower bed by the kitchen door was empty, but showed signs of past growing things.

"I like it a lot," Jim said, looking around with pleasure. "Send us the asking price along with all the house specs, also the repair estimates, please Grace. Leonard and I will want that information for each of the four homes we'll see."

"My pleasure, Captain." She smiled at them "I think that's it for the house. Do you have any questions?"

"What are the schools like here, Grace?" Bones asked.

"Quite good, Doctor. My own two children attend school here and I've been very pleased. We also have some lovely public parks and recreation facilities."

"Good...fine schools and nice parks show that people care about their community," Bones said.

They walked back into the house; Jim and Bones took one last appreciative look around, and followed Grace out the front door. She locked up and turned to them. "Would you like to go back to the hotel or shall I drop you off somewhere else?"

"If you'll drop us off at a central location, Leonard and I will walk around and see more of the town, have dinner in town."

"I'll be happy to do that. Let me send you the names and locations of some good dinner places in town, " she said. "Also, you can take a shuttle cab from almost anywhere in town back to the hotel, or call the hotel and they'll send a cab for you. While  you're here, you might like to consider having a mud bath. Calistoga is famous for their hot springs and mud baths. You'll feel wonderful afterward." Her dark eyes twinkled. "People say they feel energized afterward, in many different ways," she added, smiling mischievously.

Jim laughed and looked at McCoy. "Jim...." Leonard growled in warning.

"I wasn't going to say anything," Jim put on his most innocent face and Grace laughed.

"I'll drop you off at the Visitors Center on Washington Street. They're very helpful, they'll have good suggestions for your walk. I'll see you tomorrow at 10:00 am," she told them. "Our first appointment is at 10:30. Have a good evening, Captain, Doctor." 

"We'll see you tomorrow, Grace." They waved as she drove off and walked to The Visitor's Center. Calistoga was waiting to be discovered. 

 

 

 

 

 

 House number 3

                                             


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> House number 4, the one everyone liked and that Jim and Bones bought, is at the end of this chapter.

 

 .

  
**Jim and Bones Buy a House**

  
**Chapter 4**

 **"Home is a name, a word, it is a strong one;**  
**stronger than magician ever spoke, or spirit ever answered to,**  
**in the strongest conjuration."**  
**Charles Dickens**

 

After a long shower accompanied by mutually satisfactory sexy activities, Jim commed his mother and Bones commed Eleonora and Joanna to update them on the house hunt. Winona was encouraging and excited. "I'm sure you'll find the right house, dear. One that you both love, that you'll both agree on. Oh, don't go out and buy any furniture until you see what's in the attic, Jim. There are some good pieces stored up there that belonged to your grandparents, both mine and your dad's. Sam took very little so I'd like you to take whatever you and Leonard like. It's all simple stuff, appropriate for whatever house you buy. Your grandparents would be so happy to see them used by you and Leonard."

"Thanks, mom. That sounds great! Bones and I want to bring you, Eleonora, and Joanna out here for a few days to see the house we buy."

"I'll be looking forward to it. Bye sweetheart. Love you."

"Bye, mom, love you too." He closed the comm deeply satisfied with the conversation with his mother. Things between them were so much better now, better than they'd ever been really, and Jim was very happy to have a loving relationship with his mother once again.

Both he and Bones got off their comms at the same time and Jim told Bones about Winona's furniture offer. Bones laughed. "Mom told me the same thing. She says there's also three generations of McCoy furniture in her attic. Looks like we may not have to buy a lot of furniture. I just hope we like some of what's stored." He looked at the time. "Let's go eat breakfast, I'm starved."

Promptly at 10:00 am, Grace Cho walked into the hotel lobby to pick them up. Today she was wearing a royal blue suit which set off her coloring and petit figure to perfection. Many appreciative eyes followed her as she made her way through the lobby. She found the two men sitting on one of the sofas immersed in their padds.

"Good morning, Captain, Doctor." She smiled at the two handsome men dressed casually in khaki slacks and soft knit shirts, Jim's blue and Leonard's green; the soft colors enhancing their eyes.

"Good morning, Grace," Leonard said, standing. "Jim will be with us in a minute. Some last minute ship's business that he has to sign. His yeoman has apologized profusely for bothering him, but one report remained unsigned; she feels real bad about it too. Being a Captain of a Starship never really stops," he explained.

"I imagine it's the same with being a doctor," she smiled at him.

Jim closed his comm and stood. "Morning, Grace. Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's not a problem, Captain. The house we're going to see first is not far. Shall we go?" Grace led them out of the hotel to her ground car which was still parked under the portico roof. She was correct, they were at the house promptly by 10:30.

"The owners hate to sell this gem, but he's being transferred to the Jupiter Space Station and they certainly can't take care of the house from there. They told me they've been very happy living here."

"Is he Starfleet then?" asked Leonard.

"No, a private contractor, but his company told him they'd be stationed there at least four years, if not more, and they'll want to buy another house if they're going to live there that long."

The house was indeed a gem. From the outside they could see that it had stucco siding, large bay windows, and a roomy covered porch. The flower garden was loving tended and was ablaze with colorful blooms. The grass was green and mowed and there was a large tree by the curb that provided welcomed shade.

Grace opened the front door and they stepped into the living room. It too, had an open concept living area. The ceiling had exposed beams, the walls were bead board paneling, and the floor was old fashioned heart pine. Everything was beautifully maintained, the woodwork shining softly against the creamy walls. The throw rugs on the pine floor provided softness in the room. Grace led them from room to room; to the kitchen and dining nook, to the three small bedrooms, the two small bathrooms, and finally the tiny laundry room. They went out through the kitchen door to the fenced backyard and looked around, admiring all the obvious hard work the owners had put into the landscaping."

"It's a beautiful home and yard," Jim said, "but the house is just too small for us, Grace."

Bones nodded in agreement. "We need something larger to accommodate our families and/or visiting crew."

"I thought so,"Grace said, "but it's such a lovely home and on your list, Captain, so I thought you should view it." She turned to Bones. "The next house we'll see is the one the Captain told me you liked, Dr. McCoy."

She drove them through several nice neighborhoods to a shady cul de sac. At the apex of the street sat a yellow house. The front porch had three white and brick columns and there were flower pots on the half columns by the porch steps. The house was two storied with a shortened cupola at the top where a cheerful bird weather vane perched. There was a large maple tree in the front and other trees could be seen behind the white picket fence. The house had a tall brick chimney which boded well for a fireplace inside. Jim could see a garage in the back.

"It's even prettier in person then in the picture," Bones said to Jim, as Grace led them up the steps. She opened the front door and stood aside to let them into the living room.

"And it's just as pretty on the inside," Jim said quietly, looking around with appreciation.

And indeed it was. The multi panned windows let in the bright sunlight, showcasing the vertical board and batten paneling. Open shelves along both sides of the fireplace housed many antique paper books; the fireplace was built of fieldstone and the mantle was rough hewn dark wood. The walls were a very pale soft yellow and soft cream curtains hung on all the windows. The floor was distressed oak and it glowed in the sunlight. Grace led them to the large kitchen with its white painted cabinets and its wooden farmhouse style table and chairs. Through the back door they could see the spacious back yard. It was not as well landscaped as the other house, but it had great possibilities.

"I really liked the kitchen skylight in the first house we saw," Jim said, "but this kitchen is bright and airy without it."

"Before you two fall totally in love with this house," Grace said, leading them to the big airy bedrooms, "I have to warn you that the owners are now waffling about selling. They've been looking for a bigger house, but haven't found one in their price point. They commed me yesterday that they may take this house off the marker."

Leonard nodded. "I can see how they'd hate to let go of this place." He looked at Jim. "We like this one a lot Grace, so you let us know what they decide. We can meet their asking price if they decide to sell."

"It's the right size for us, and I really like the layout,"Jim said. "The bathrooms are roomy and that huge claw footed tub in the Master bath is an added plus," he glanced at Bones and grinned as he saw the faint flush on his high cheekbones.

"I'll let you know as soon as I hear from the owners," Grace said, making a note in her padd. "I thought we'd take a break for lunch, our last house appointment isn't until 2:00 o'clock."

"Sounds good, I am getting hungry," Jim said. "You, Bones?"

"Yeah, house hunting has given me an appetite for sure. Where are you taking us, Grace?"

"I know a great place to eat. It's Greek food though; do you like Greek food?"

"Absolutely," Leonard and Jim chorused together.

"Great, just excuse me for a few minutes. I'll call my office first and then the restaurant to reserve a table." She left them in the living room and went into one of the bedrooms to make her calls.

As soon as the bedroom door closed, Jim wrapped his arms around Bones. "I'm getting excited, Bonsey. Our buying a house is really going to happen!" He gave Bones a chaste peck on the lips, his blue eyes dancing with excitement.

"I know, darlin'." Warm hazel eyes smiled into blue ones. "It's a great feelin'." The soothing rumble of Bones' voice was warm and happy and his return kiss was less chaste and more lingering; Jim sighed into it happily.

The click of Grace's heels draw them apart. "We're all set, the restaurant is saving a table for us."

The Greek restaurant was not far; it seemed to Jim that nothing in Calistoga was very far from anywhere else. Grace told them that the restaurant was a family owned place; it was not a very big place so the atmosphere was homey and warm. Delicious smells wafted in the air as they sat down and looked over the menu choices.

Jim looked up from the menu and smiled at the young waitress. "I'll have a Greek salad, followed by some Keftedakia, those delicious Greek meatballs, and for dessert the Greek Rice pudding," he told her. "Oh, and coffee, please."

"I'll have the Greek salad also, then the Greek Penne and Chicken, and the Greek Honey Cakes for dessert. I'll also have coffee," Bones decided, handing her the menu.

"I'll have the same as the Captain, the salad and the meatballs, Melina," Grace said, smiling at the young girl.

"This a real nice place, Grace," Bones said looking around with obvious pleasure.

Grace nodded. "It's one of my favorite eating places. Everything I've ever eaten here is delicious. I've watched Melina grow up here; she's off to college in the Fall. Her parents are going to miss her a lot; they're a very close knit family." She went on to tell them a little more about the family, their hard work, and their success with the restaurant.

Jim, who loved success stories like this one, listened attentively, his blue eyes alight with pleasure.

The food arrived and it was indeed delicious. They took their time over their wonderful meal and had coffee refills with their dessert. Jim sighed. " My stomach and I thank you, Grace. Haven't had a meal this good since....well, I can't really remember how long ago it's been."

"Amen to that," said Bones.

Grace grabbed the check when it came. "My treat," she said, "and I'm so glad you enjoyed it."

They exited the restaurant and headed for their last house appointment. "I just want to assure you both that if you want to see more of these types of homes, I have a couple more we can view tomorrow."

"Thank you, Grace. The ones we've seen so far have been great. I can't wait to see this last one." Jim said.

Grace drove them up Berry Street and then to Washington Street to an older neighborhood with a long tree lined boulevard. They drew up to the house and Grace parked the car in front. They sat there for a moment looking at the charming house with its inviting four columned porch; an old fashioned porch swing hung on one side. The stairs that led to the door had white painted railings on both sides. The house had multiple paned windows and there was a tall brick chimney on the side of the house. They walked up the steps and Grace opened the beautiful glass paned front door.

The afternoon light shone through the windows and the room glowed. "Oh," breathed out Jim. He suddenly felt goose flesh break out on his body. He turned to look at Bones and they exchanged a look that told Jim that everything was about to change for them. Somehow, Jim just knew this was going to be their house!

This house also had an open floor plan making the area seem quite large and ideal for socializing. The living room had built-in cabinets, bookcases,and window seats. There was a fireplace, the focal point of the large living room with two multipaned windows flanking the fireplace. There were oak hardwood floors throughout the house and from what Jim could see, all the materials used in the interior were natural; real wood, stone, brick, glass and tile. They walked into the bright kitchen which was compact, but still big enough for a round wooden table and 4 chairs.

Grace led them slowly through each of the four bedrooms; only the master bedroom and bathroom were large. The other three bedrooms and guest bathrooms were smaller, but more than adequate for guests. Bones liked the bedroom with a window seat for Joanna. The backyard was fenced and the grass was lush and green. Large trees provided shade and there was a small kitchen garden nestled in one corner of the yard.

Bones looked at Jim and they smiled at each other. There was no need for discussion, their decision had been made! "This is it, Grace, this is the one! We want this house," Bones told her.

"I knew it!" Grace exclaimed. "I had a feeling this was the house for the two of you." She beamed at them and opened her padd. "This is the asking price," she said,showing them the numbers. "I can probably bring it down a little, but it's a fair price for this house."

Jim took the padd, showed it to Bones and nodded. "It _is_ fair. We'll meet their price even if they don't come down," he told her. "Please get started on the paperwork, Grace. We'll deposit our earnest money as soon as you say the word."

"I'll have the paperwork for you in the morning with the account number for the earnest money deposit," she told them. "Once that's done, the house is practically yours. I'm very happy for you both, it's a lovely house; I just know you'll be very happy here."

They walked all through the house again, Jim happily making mental notes about furnishings and jubilantly thinking, _ours, ours, ours._ Grace finally led them out and put in the security code to lock the front door. "Let's get you back to the hotel and I'll go back to my office and get started on your paperwork," she told them, as they got into her vehicle. She smiled at the two men. "Congratulations! You're about to become home owners."

Finally back in their hotel room, Jim and Bones collapsed on the bed, giddy with happiness. "We're gonna be home owners, we're gonna be home owners," Jim sing songed to the ceiling. He rolled over to face Bones. "Can you believe this, Bonesy? I'm so happy, but I'm really nervous too." He shivered slightly. "It's a huge step for us."

"I can fix those nerves," Bones said. "Come 'ere, you." He reached for Jim and Jim happily went into his arms, humming his pleasure. Bones kissed him forcefully, passionately, and Jim breathed deep, filling all his senses with Bones: his taste, his smell, the hard muscles under the smooth tanned skin. When they were together like this, Jim always felt drunk and intoxicated with Bones' nearness and now that they were married, even more so. They quickly stripped off their clothes and Bones pulled him close again, covering Jim's lips in a kiss so intense, so possessive, that Jim knew it would leave a bruise.

Jim pressed them even closer; he became completely lost in sensation, kissing and nibbling frantically at Bones lips. He felt himself rushing towards completion, heat gathering in his groin, as he felt Bones' tongue chasing his own in his mouth. He moaned as he felt Bones' mouth moving downward, pushing Jim's stroking hand away and swallowing his length.

 _God, yes_ , he thought, dizzy with lust and passion. Jim couldn't contain the loud moan that escaped him. After all their years together, Jim knew exactly what would bring Bones to completion, and he slid his hand down, nudging Bones’ legs apart, finding his entrance and rubbing it lightly.

Bones bucked his hips in pleasure, moaning, and that did it; in the next second, Jim came hard, seeing stars behind his closed eyelids. Bones hummed his appreciation. As Jim's orgasm slowly waned, he felt Bones’s cock spasm in his hand and he put forth all his effort in pulling Bones’ orgasm from him. Bones shivered and suddenly  spurted in Jim's hand. Jim smiled softly to himself, rolled onto his back, reaching over to pull Bones' unresisting, pliant, body into his arms.  Sated, sleepy and warmed by their closeness, Jim rearranged their bodies to his liking on the soft bed; he pulled McCoy up against his chest and curled his arms tightly around his broad shoulders. Bones grunted contently, buried his face against Jim’s chest, wrapped both arms around his waist and was sound asleep.

 _Yep_ , Jim thought happily, _my nerves are certainly all fixed_. After their nap, they would comm his mom, Joanna and Eleanor to share the good news about the house. They'd all be very happy; later he and Bones would go out for a celebratory dinner, drink some good champagne, and come back to the hotel room for more spectacular lovemaking. _Yeah, that's a good plan,_ he mused sleepily. He sighed, tucked his chin over Bones' dark head, and he, too, fell fast asleep.  
 

 

 

   

                                                    House number 4, the one Jim and Bones bought.

 

                               .           


	5. Chapter 5

**Jim and Bones Buy a House**

**Chapter 5**

**Epilogue**

**"Every traveler has a home of his own,**  
**And he learns to appreciate it the more from his wanderings."**  
**Charles Dickens**

 

Jim looked around, wiping his sweaty forehead. Bones did the same. They exchanged triumphant glances. Done and done! Joanna's room was finished. Hers had been the last room that had to be arranged. The two men had taken her shopping to pick out the type of furniture she wanted. and surprisingly enough, she'd picked out simple painted white pieces....a bed, a chest of drawers, a desk and a chair. Eleonora had taken her shopping to buy her linens, a bed quilt, towels and a shower curtain for her small bathroom. She'd chosen lilac and pink towels, lavender sheets and a multicolored pink, lavender, and green quilt for her bed. Her furniture had been delivered this morning and Jim and Bones had set everything in place after putting the bed together. Her grandmother had also put white sheer curtains on the windows and the little girl's room looked very inviting; cool, airy and homey.

"What do you think, Jo Jo?" Asked her father.

She grinned her gap toothed grin. While spending her annual six weeks with her grandmother, she'd lost two more teeth. "I love it, daddy and Papa Jim. It all looks beautiful." She put her favorite teddy bear on the bed. "There. Isabella will love it here."

"Good. Now you just have to arrange all your things the way you want, your toys, dolls and book padds. I hope the shelves won't give out with all the stuff you brought," Leonard teased.

Joanna rolled her eyes at the comment. "Daddy...." She grumbled at him, a frown etching her tiny forehead.

"Wonder who she learned that from?" Jim whispered, smirking.

Bones frowned at him swatting him on the head.

They left her to her task and went to the living room where Eleonora was working. The living room and dining room furniture were in their place. Jim and Bones had found all they needed in the Kirk and McCoy attics; good wooden furniture that just needed dusting and some elbow grease with furniture polish. After the paperwork had gone through for the purchase of the house and it was officially theirs, they had first gone to Riverside to visit Winona. They'd checked out the furniture in her attic picking out what they wanted and having it shipped to Calistoga. It had been a nice surprise to find out that Starfleet paid all the moving costs for Captains and high command. Grace had done them the favor of being on hand to receive it all while they went on to Savannah to visit Eleonora and Joanna. While there, they'd picked out more furniture and they had been able to furnish every room in the house except for Joanna's.

Jim and Bones had come back to Calistoga and started their miscellaneous shopping for the things needed for their new home. Grace had been very helpful in steering them to all the right specialty stores. They'd bought mattresses for all the beds, new bed linens, towels, every day dishes, cutlery, cookware, and cleaning products. Eleanora had gifted Leonard with a set of fine bone China that had belonged to her mother. It was a soft creamy white with a gold rim around it. Simple and timeless. 

They'd also found out there was no need for sonics in Calistoga, there was an abundance of water in the little town, so Jim and Bones had gone a little crazy taking showers together; once, sometimes twice a day with accompanied sexy times. It was a luxury they seldom indulged in on the ship; only the officers had severely restricted water rations and the lower ranks showered only by medical prescription. For once, they'd decided to indulge themselves to their hearts' content since once back on the ship their fun showers would be over.

The two moms and Joanna had arrived via transporter early yesterday morning and Winona and Eleonora had gotten right to work helping to get the house in good order. Jim and Bones had one more week of leave and they were going to enjoy it to the fullest with their families.

This evening, Bones had decided to cook a celebratory dinner for everyone including Grace and her family. They'd found out her twin girls were close in age to Joanna; Grace had been delighted to accept their invitation. Leonard was in seventh heaven  since he was going to use their state of the art new kitchen for the first time. Jim had offered to cook steaks on the grill and Bones would take care of everything else. Winona and his mom had offered to help, but Leonard said they were going to be treated like honored guests for the entire evening.

"Jim," Leonard yelled. "I'm going to the store."

"Okay," said Jim from right behind him.

Leonard jumped a foot. "Holy shit, Jim. You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"Sorry, Bonesy." He leaned in to give him a soft kiss. "Didn't mean to scare you. Would you please bring some ice cream and cones? The little girls will enjoy the ice cream cones."

"I will, darlin. Be back in a few."

After Bones left, Jim went to the back yard to check on the new outdoor furniture they'd set out yesterday. He found his mother kneeling and digging in the dirt. "Mom, what in the world are you doing?"

She looked up, smiling at him. She had a streak of dirt across her cheek and her hair was tied back in a pony tail. She looked young, pretty, and carefree.

"I know you and Leonard won't be here to take care of a kitchen garden, but I went out earlier to buy a few perennials. They won't require much care, Jim. The automatic sprinkler system will water them, and the landscape company you hired to care for the yard just has to weed the bed now and then. By the time you come back to the house, the plants should be big enough and well established. You'll have flowers for many years." She stood and wiped her hands off on her jeans. "There. I'm finished."

Jim wiped the dirt off her cheek and gave her a light kiss where the dirt had been. "Thanks, mom. I like your idea and so will Bones."

"You're welcome, dear. Now I better go shower. Have you seen 'Nora?"

"Yeah, she was putting up curtains in the Master bedroom last time I saw her. The two of you have accomplished miracles, mom. The house looks great. By the way, Bones went out to buy the food for tonight."

Winona smiled. "I'm looking forward to dinner. I understand Leonard is a good cook."

"That he is," Jim said. "Although he doesn't get much of a chance to indulge." Jim smiled fondly thinking of Bones in his chef's apron and little else.

Winona placed her palm gently against Jim's face. "You look very happy, Jim, Leonard too."

Jim placed his own large palm over her small one. "I am, mom. Very happy. Bones is too. We love each other a lot."

Blue eyes looked into even bluer ones, "I'm so glad, sweetheart. You deserve every happiness...." The light in her eyes dimmed as she remembered Jim and Sam's childhood and her own years of depression and despair; her neglect of her two beautiful little boys.

"Mom," Jim said softly in reproach, looking into her sad eyes.. "None of that now. The past is gone, good riddance to it. We're going to make only happy memories from now on. Okay?" Jim pulled her hand through his arm and led her gently to the back door.

She nodded. "Okay, sweetheart," she whispered.

The evening sun was setting in colors of crimson, blue and purple, and the children were screaming and laughing on the swing set that Bones had set up for Joanna. Jim was at the grill and Winona, Eleonora and Grace were setting the new outdoor table for dinner chatting amiably with each other. John, Grace's husband, stood by the grill with a cold beer in his hand, talking to Jim. Bones came out the kitchen door with a big bowl of cold potatoes salad.

"Rest of the food will be comin' out in a minute, folks. Let me get the outdoor lights on so we can see what we're eatin'," he said, flicking the switch. The soft yellow lights made the backyard even prettier. "Are the steaks almost ready, darlin'?  And the hotdogs for the girls?" He asked, grabbing a beer from the nearby cooler.

"Three more minutes, Bones, then we'll let the steaks rest for a few minutes and we're done."

"Okay then, let me bring out the rest of the food, the drinks for the children, and the hot dog fixings," he said.

"Let me help you, Leonard," John said, setting down his beer, and going into the kitchen with Leonard. They brought out the rest of the food; cole slaw, creamed corn, baked beans, roasted vegetables, and peach pie for dessert.

When everyone was seated at the table, Jim stood, cold beer in hand, and tapped his fork on on the bottle. "Attention, everyone," he said in his most Captainly voice. "I'd like to propose a toast in honor of this, our first dinner party in our new home. To my Bones," he looked lovingly at his doctor, "thank you for coming along with me in this, our new adventure together of being homeowners, also thanks for cooking all this great food for us; to our moms, thank you for your generosity in giving us most of our furniture and for all your help these last few days, to Joanna," he smiled at the little girl, "for just being you, sweetheart, we love you a lot; to Grace, for being the most awesome realtor ever; and finally, to our new beautiful home, the perfect place for us to make only happy memories from now on."

"Here, here!" Everyone shouted, clinking tea glasses, juice boxes, and beer bottles at each other.

"Let's eat!" Bones said, smiling at Jim who grinned back at him. In the soft light of the evening, the love they felt for each other was reflected perfectly in their eyes.

                                                                                      **Fin**

 

                                                                            **Welcome to Our Home**

                                                    

 

 


End file.
